Sprinklers Are Being Installed

If you have played recently, you may have noticed that our irrigation contractor has begun to install sprinkler heads and turn holes over to our new system.

Each lateral line is connected to the main line at a valve. From there a vibratory plow is used to pull the pipe from the valve to each head. This method is referred to as pulling the pipe. As you can see from the videos below, the plow vibrates a channel, and the pipe and wire are pulled underground from head-to-head.

Before the pipe is pulled a trench is dug to install the new heads. Each head is attached to the pipe with a saddle. The saddle is a plastic clamp that is tightened down to the pipe. Once the saddle is in position a hole is drilled in the pipe allowing water to flow to the head. The saddles have a gasket that seals the pipe and prevents leaks. Then the wire is spliced into each head. This wire is one of the most important parts of the installation, this allows us the individual head control that makes this system superior to the last.

After the heads are installed and backfilled, the contractor takes a roller over the trenches to smash them back down, and the final result is a small mark in the turf, that will begin to grow back over in a few weeks. Some areas begin to grow back quicker than others, based on soil type, moisture, and how much soil was disturbed. There are areas that are unlevel, and the contractor is working to fix those areas when it dries out and they can get them compacted better.

You may see circles in the fairways and approaches that seem unlevel, these are where the contractor removed the old heads. These circles will heal back in as we move through the spring.

Each individual sprinkler head has a code to it that is imputed into the central controller located in the maintenance building. As the heads are added into the computer they are coded, and the nozzle type and arc are added as well. All this information allows the computer to determine run times, based on how much water we would like to apply.

Around each green, there are two sprinkler heads that are right next to each other, or close to one another. The reason for this is that one of the heads only waters the green surface. The other head only waters the rough around the greens. This is an upgrade from our previous system because with our old system we watered to keep the greens at the moisture level we wanted, and the rough could not get any additional water if needed. With this new system we will be able to control the moisture in the rough separate from the greens.

The image below is what was installed on 14. We have a total of 48 heads that have been installed.

Below is the as-built for #15 they have installed a total of 59 heads on that hole.

Holes 11 and 13 are nearing completion, 17 and 18 are next on the list, as we move into the next few weeks. After completion of #18 the contractor is going to leave and come back in conjunction with the construction. At that time, they will be completing the remaining holes and irrigating the new construction.